Home Runs and Strikeouts

[FP26]

Went to a Braves game last week. Hadn't been to one in years.

Deep ground balls in the hole to SS I thought might be close plays at first. Runners were out by 3 steps. Everything felt like it was in slo-mo.

That's one thing I love about softball. With the right hitter, a "routine" grounder to the shortstop may be a single.

 

[FP26]

For some reason it doesn't bother me as much as others. I still enjoy thinking along with the pitcher trying to figure out what they will throw and marvel at some of the plays a MLB IF will make with relative ease which are not at all easy. But I am in the minority I think.

I definitely enjoy when today's players "flash the leather". It's the combination of strike outs, 6 consecutive pick off throws to 1st base, and all of the other delays that just make it painful to watch sometimes.

 

[_MIA_]

It's the combination of strike outs, 6 consecutive pick off throws to 1st base, and all of the other delays that just make it painful to watch sometimes.

Well the 9YO and 11YO pitchers on my DD's 12U team still haven't figured out how to read their wristbands efficiently so I guess I am used to the pitching mound delays (for Pete's sake you have two pitches!!)

 

[Rolling Hard]

With girls throwing harder and bats getting hotter the game is going the way of MLB. And with more college coaches starting to see the light on launch angles and power hitting unfortunately it is going to get worse quickly . A 200 ft fence is a chip shot. What should be a routine fly ball now drifts over the fence by 30 ft. Old school hitting coaches will be replaced with high speed video and launch angle gurus. There will still be slapping but its value will be diminished too.

 

[spleen1015]

It is starting to make its way into softball. DD has been to a couple of camps where the hitting philosophy of the program is flyballs, HRs and "we don't care how much you strike out as long as you are hitting in the air".

One coach told me they would prefer a strikeout with the hitter swinging for the fences when there are runners on 2nd & 3rd with 1 out instead of a groundball to 2B.

I don't really mind. Pay for my DD's education.

 

[Agbracing]

I personally think some of the move to more power hitting in softball is a good thing. I don’t think with the short bases the speed will ever go away. A good team will have a combination of power and speed. There are more opportunities for different types of girls now then years ago.

 

[SBmom8992]

The allure of the long ball is partly due to social media. Organizations and players post their highlights for their followers, including college coaches. A good piece of situational hitting isn’t sexy enough to post.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[3girls]

Power in softball became a premium when they stopped letting slappers run out of the box. Slapping value is way down since the rule was applied.

Fielding has also significantly improved in softball, so high bounce to third isn’t as likely to get you on base as it was just a few years ago.

Speed on the bases is still killer, but power and speed is ideal.

 

[uncdrew]

So y'all are saying steroids, got it.

They make them in cherry-flavored liquid? My 10 year old can't swallow pills yet.

 

[robertc3]

The only steroid needed is a $400 bat. Your daughter can pick her flavor.